Student Investment
inTASC 6: The teacher understands and uses multiple methods of assessment to engage learners in their own growth, to monitor learner progress, and to guide the teacher’s and learner’s decision making.
Introduction
Involving and investing students in their own growth is the centerpiece of my classroom. I put a heavy emphasis on understanding mathematics as a process rather than a series of rules, and students need to be able to express their own progress. A letter grade or percentage does very little to inform students of their growth and readiness for more challenging concepts. Data needs context and students need actionable feedback.
The data I collect and analyze shapes my instruction. The most significant impact, however, comes from how students interpret this data. I can use the data to individualize and differentiate the learning in my classroom, but I can achieve broader impact as a teacher by preparing students to identify their needs themselves. This method requires building strong relationships and trust with my students. Various tools and approaches are used to help raise self-motivation and gives students the tools they need to truly master challenging Algebra II content.
Goal setting
ACT Goal Setting
Since I teach juniors, the ACT is a looming presence in my classroom. My school is held accountable by my students’ scores on the March ACT, so my curriculum is tailored toward reaching mastery goals laid out by my administrators. At the end of every quarter, students take the math portion of the ACT to practice taking the test and check-in on their growth. The following day, I refresh students on the different targets they should aim for depending on their long term goals. They receive their scores and complete a reflection and goal setting sheet. I conference with students to discuss their goals and see if they are being bold enough while still being realistic.
Personal Goal Setting
In an effort to make the ACT less daunting for my students, I pair ACT goal setting with personal goal setting. Students select a virtue they want to develop within themselves and identify steps they can take to do so. This shifts the focus toward things students can control, like how they prioritize their time and obligations.
Self-assessment and Feedback
Homework Structure
Part of engaging students with their learning is giving them frequent and regular opportunities to assess themselves on it. When students take a diagnostic on a topic, they judge for themselves the amount of work they will need to do to master the content. The homework modules are designed to address gaps in skills that students didn’t master in previous math classes.
Students worked through this module on Slope and Y-intercept as we covered transformations of linear functions. It focuses on Algebra I skills that students need to master in order to truly understand the Algebra II work we do in class.
Modules are posted and organized in Google Classroom
Students can use their level of confidence on the diagnostic quiz to determine where to begin on the homework assignments.
At the end of the week, students complete a summative quiz that looks similar to the diagnostic they took previously. Students should have practiced sufficiently that they can get an 80% or better on this summative quiz. Students reflect on their mastery of the skill afterwards and again the following week after a Show What You Know assessment.
Regular Self-Assessment
In addition to self-pacing homework assignments, students reflect on progress towards weekly goals and unit standards at the end of every week. Students complete an “End of Week Reflection” that asks them to offer a subjective evaluation of their learning that week. These are typically paired with a Show What You Know Quiz on the topic students practiced at home.
Peer Accountability
An important step in extending and strengthening learning is collaboration. Working in teams allows students to bounce ideas off each other and get help when I am not available. Students are expected to hold one another accountable, and that skill needs developing. Students complete a survey and grade the contributions of their teammates after group projects and describe the contribution each team member made.
Conclusion
My classroom is structured to provide students entry points to rigorous content that are appropriate for them. Creating time for reflection gives students opportunities to explore their own learning and define where their focus should lie. Students should not be surprised by content on assessments and should have every opportunity to prepare themselves.